This application relates to multi-featured mirrors, particularly side viewing mirrors for use in side view mirror assemblies for vehicles. Side view mirrors have been increasing complex with more electronic features and functions in them in recent years. For instance, puddle lights, turn signals, electronic controls, heated mirror surfaces, speakers, electrochromic mirrors and electronic folding of mirrors are all features which are commonly found in side view mirrors today.
It has become a increasing complex task to provide the proper controls for all of the features and to provide them in a convenient location to the operator of the vehicle. Typically, all multifunctional mirrors feature a wiring harness of somewhat complex proportions having sometimes six, seven or eight wires leading to various functions inside of the mirror housing, all of which must be controlled outside of the mirror housing. This adds complexity to the vehicle assembly where controllers and computer chips must be provided for in the vehicle. This makes mirror functionality and vehicle integration costly, complex and somewhat burdensome from a mirror sales point of view.
Therefore, it has been a goal in the art to provide a less complex, lighter weight, and improved method for controlling mirror functions in a side view mirror.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a mirror having a plurality of control features such as mirror adjustments, fold controls, heating, lighting, memory, turn signals, puddle lamps, electrochromic mirrors, temperature readouts and intercom functions. The mirror of the present invention includes amirror housing and multiplexing chip contained within the housing. The multiplexing chip includes a three-wire connection to a control interface inside the vehicle forcontrol of the features.
A second aspect of the present invention is that the multiplexing chip is advantageously used to provide a controlled memory position of the mirror surface in the housing. In this respect, a pair of motors are used for controlling and positioning the x and y coordinates of the mirror surface. A signal is read by the multiplexing chip for each rotation of each of the motors. Prior to returning the motors to apreprogrammed memory position, the motors are indexed to a full x or y coordinate endpoint, and thereafter the multiplexor can index the motor to its end position and bring it back to the proper memory position by measuring the turns of the motor. In this manner, if for some reason the mirror has become misaligned, the multiplexing chip will return the mirror to the proper position by this indexing function each time prior to returning to a preprogrammed memory position set forth in the multiplexing chip.
Additionally, the multiplexing chip allows for multiple mirror functionalitycontrol with only a 3 wire lead into the vehicle, simplifying controls within the vehicle. Use of the multiplexor within a mirror housing also allows the placement of an NTC or PTC thermistor within the housing, to provide in-housing temperature compensation to the electrical systems such as the mirror motors and to read the outside temperature. This also allows accurate control of the mirror motors via pulse width modulation from the multiplexor chip.
Further understanding of the present invention will be had in view of the description of the drawings and detailed description of the invention, when viewed in conjunction with the subjoined claims.